Editorial: Suddenly, Delco Dems sound like the GOP

After decades of disorganization, the Delaware County Democratic Party seems to have finally come into its own.

It has a full slate of seemingly well qualified candidates running in the upcoming election not to mention, for the first time in Delaware County history, the majority of registered voters.

So why is it suddenly sounding so Republican?

Specifically, why have Democratic candidates for Delaware County Council opted against debating their Republican opponents? In years gone by, Delaware County Republicans were notorious for declining to debate their Democratic adversaries, because, quite frankly, they didn’t have to with the local party machine in their favor.

But such is not the case this year.

Republican Delaware County Council candidates David White and Mario Civera, who also are the incumbents, were set to engage in an hour-long debate with Democratic opponents Bill Clinton and Patricia Worrell Tuesday at Delaware County Community College in Marple when they learned last week that their opponents declined the invitation from the League of Women Voters.

The reason given for Worrell’s and Clinton’s decision not to debate their Republican opponents was because the debate did not include the full slate of candidates running for offices including sheriff, controller and register of wills. Jed Grobstein, campaign manager for the Delaware County Democratic candidates, explained that the slate “runs as a team” and “campaigns as a team” and it wants to debate as a team.

The danger of employing such a strategy is that it suggests that candidates cannot think on their own without benefit of fellow party members in the room. It also hearkens back to decades of Delaware County Republican thinking when it was clear candidates for any office never diverged from the talking points drummed into their heads by party leaders.

There is nothing wrong with all party members being on the same page but it important for voters to know that a candidate can stand on his or her own two feet when those feet are put to the fire.

And why would Democrats pass up such a prime opportunity to strut their stuff now that they are closer than ever to being real contenders for Delaware County government offices? While there may be 170,317 registered Democrats as compared to 169,653 registered Republicans in Delaware County, it shouldn’t be taken for granted that everyone is going to vote along party lines. Some voters actually do split their tickets and vote for candidates on their merits. And what of the 45,639 Delaware County voters registered with other parties or without party affiliation? They could provide the votes needed to swing Delaware County Democrats to their long-sought victories at the county courthouse in Media.

Then, of course, there is the practical consideration of crowding the podium with too many politicians. Delaware County Republican slate spokesman Pete Peterson was correct when he noted that even if the League of Women Voters’ debate was expanded to two hours so that candidates from both parties for all five offices could participate, that would probably only give each candidate an opportunity to answer two questions.

Because the Democrats declined to appear, Tuesday’s League of Women Voters’ debate was cancelled. Nobody won, including the voters.